Social Minister Risma Hopes PKH Can Boost People's Purchasing Power

Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini hopes that social assistance in the Family Hope Program (PKH) can increase the purchasing power of 33.6 million residents during the implementation of restrictions on community activities to control the transmission of COVID-19.

Risma said that the target of PKH was 10 million beneficiary families but the total number of residents who benefited from the assistance was 33,674,865 people.

“Actually, those who receive the aid are bigger. There are 33,674,865 people who feel the benefits of PKH. The value of the help is also quite large. The hope is that it can help the community in the midst of the pandemic," he said as quoted in the ministry's press release received in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Thursday, July 22.

PKH includes components of health, education, and social welfare. PKH assistance is intended to support health services for pregnant/postpartum/breastfeeding mothers and children under five; educational services for elementary/equivalent, junior high/equivalent, and high school/equivalent students; and social welfare services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

"That's them (PKH beneficiary families) can get more than one yes, if there are pregnant women and children under five, get two assistance. The amount depends on the components in the family," said Risma.

PKH assistance for pregnant/postpartum/breastfeeding women (limited to the second pregnancy) and children aged zero to 6 years (limited to two children) is worth IDR 3 million per year each.

The value of assistance for each elementary/equivalent student who is active in school is IDR 900,000 per year, junior high school / equivalent student who is active in school is IDR 1.5 million per year, and high school student / equivalent who is active in school IDR 2 million per year.

Assistance for elderly citizens (over 70 years old, maximum one person) and people with severe disabilities (maximum one person) is worth IDR 2.4 million each year. In addition to providing assistance through PKH, the government also distributes non-cash food assistance (BPNT) worth IDR 200 thousand per family per month for 18.8 million families and cash social assistance (BST) worth IDR 200 thousand per family per month for 10 million families.

The government provides funds of Rp. 28.3 trillion for PKH, Rp. 42.3 trillion for the BPNT/Sembako Card program, and Rp. 15.1 trillion for BST.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has disbursed BST in May and June for 10 million beneficiary families and BPNT for July and August for 18.8 million beneficiary families.

In addition, the government has set aside Rp7.08 trillion for a new social assistance program for 5.9 million families.

"They are completely new. The data is from the regional government, the assistance is Rp. 200,000/KPM during July-December 2021," said Risma.

The government also distributed rice assistance of 10 kg per family to 10 million PKH beneficiary families, 10 million BST beneficiary families, and 8.8 million BPNT/Sembako card beneficiary families outside PKH recipients.

"Those who distribute Perum Bulog, the Ministry of Social Affairs only send recipient data to the Ministry of Finance," said Risma.

In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs distributed five kg of rice assistance each to informal sector workers affected by the pandemic in the zone of the implementation of community activity restrictions (PPKM) in Java-Bali.

The recipients of the rice assistance included food stall owners, street vendors, motorcycle taxi drivers, casual workers, daily workers, contract employees, and other workers who were unable to work because of the PPKM.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has prepared a total of 2,010 tons of rice for this purpose. In this case, the ministry distributed 3,000 packages of rice each to 122 district and city governments and 6,000 packages of rice each to six provincial capitals. Each package contains five kg of rice.